As the $4 billion OCVibe development takes its first steps in construction, the project has finalized its official leadership team to oversee the expansion.
The organization said the team was chosen based on their past careers “of bringing iconic experiences to life, disrupting the status quo, and driving business outcomes” for a variety of notable brands.
“OCVibe will serve as a premier destination for Orange County residents and visitors to immerse themselves in the region’s rich sports and entertainment culture,” Chief Executive Bill Foltz said in a statement.
Delivery is expected by 2028, when the Honda Center will play host to indoor volleyball as part of the Summer Olympics. The project also aims to be an extension of Anaheim’s existing offerings, such as bringing the city’s ARCTIC transit station “back to life” as a transportation hub, according to Foltz, or bringing even more special events to the Honda Center.
Existing leaders such as CEO Foltz and Chief Legal Officer Katie Rodin have been a part of the project’s operations, also known as OC Sports & Entertainment (OCSE), since 2020.
Others include:
– Chief Technology Officer Julie Sokol
– Chief Human Resources Officer Gina Galasso
– Executive Vice President, Real Estate Development Joseph O’Toole
– Chief Venue Management Officer Kevin Starkey
Dan Young, former right-hand man of Irvine Co.’s Donald Bren, is involved in the master planning of the Anaheim project as executive director of development.
Newer names recently appointed to the leadership team include Russ Borrows as chief financial officer last October and Graham Siderius as chief partnerships officer in November. Chief Marketing Officer Tracee Larocca joined in January 2023, and Morell Marean became chief operating officer in 2022.
Borrows has held multiple leading positions in finance in the last few decades from the Comcast television station to entertainment company Live Nation. Siderius had previously worked on corporate partnerships with the Anaheim Ducks for 15 years before moving to OCVibe.
CMO Larocca’s experience includes 22 years moving up within Irvine-based Taco Bell. COO Marean worked previously at The Bay Club Co., Patina Restaurant Group and Universal Studios Hollywood. Chief Technology Officer Sokol is a veteran of the Irvine Co.
Aaron Teats, named president of the Anaheim Ducks in 2022 after 25 years with the hockey club, will have a spot on the group as well.
The project broke ground this year to build the first parking structure, which is slated to open next year. The first round of venues and attractions planned to begin opening in 2026 are a 5,700-capacity venue, a public park and several restaurants.
Project Reconsiderations
Headed by the Samueli family, the OCVibe project is turning nearly 100 acres surrounding the Honda Center into a walkable mixed-use community with apartments, hotels, retail, office and open space uses.
The project was approved by the Anaheim City Council last October.
The project calls for 1,500 mixed-income rental units; 1.1 million square feet of offices; 230,000 square feet of retail including about three dozen restaurants; 550 hotel rooms; a 5,700-capacity concert venue; two 5-acre parks; and 20 acres of public space with a network of pedestrian bridges and walkways.
The project is expected to create 3,000 permanent jobs, 10,000 construction jobs and $2 billion in economic impact, according to officials.
Another proposal for the demolition of the three-building Arena Corporate Center, to build up to 750 additional housing units in its place, is expected to be brought before the city this summer.
The center, the current office for OCVibe staff, was originally planned for renovations. The developer changed plans due to falling demand for older offices.
Alongside the recent changes, city filings indicate that the developer is also considering the elimination of one proposed outdoor amphitheater at OCVibe, replacing it with additional public park space.
The development is being self-funded by the Samuelis, owners of the Anaheim Ducks and much of the land surrounding the arena.
The couple bought the hockey team for about $75 million in 2005; it’s now worth well around $925 million as of 2023, according to Forbes. Via their firm H&S Ventures LLC, they paid a reported $125.5 million for the 385,000-square-foot Arena Corporate Center in 2018.
Henry Samueli, who co-founded Broadcom, ranks No. 2 on the Business Journal’s annual Wealthiest list with an estimated worth of $17.6 billion.
$200M Spent
A series of additional real estate buys over the past decade or so gave the Samuelis control of more than 75 acres immediately east of the Orange (57) Freeway, running north from the ARTIC station, past Honda Center, to Ball Road.
In recent moves, a venture controlled by the Samuelis paid $64.5 million for a 12-acre, 105,000-square-foot industrial site next to Angel Stadium, the Business Journal learned in June. The deal for 2040 and 2050 S. State College Blvd., which sits just southwest of the baseball park and roughly a mile from Honda Center, worked out to nearly $616 per square foot.
It is the largest locally reported real estate purchase for the Samuelis in several years, according to property records.
The industrial facility, located just southwest of Angel Stadium, will be converted into the new home for OCVibe staff, according to city of Anaheim Chief Communications Officer Mike Lyster, following the planned demolition of the Arena Corporate Center.
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